PRESTWICK

[Callsign Kilo]

great to see the 3 british airways 777s at prestwick today! took up the whole of the main apron, ryanairs relegated to apron bravo! good to hear the "speed bird" call sign, PIK has signed a deal to be used as BA diversion airport, hopefully a lot more in the future

BA won't. You know how much it costs to divert a fully laiden 777? Expecially the one that had to overnight on Thursday 7th?

I don't either, however it isn't cheap - especially when your airline is losing money at a faster rate than water running from a burst main!

[apron alpha]

PIK is the n.d.a for BA, designated diversion airport at an agreed fire service category, i would imagine there will be an agreement on handling charges, ground power units, landing fees etc. Your correct, it wont be cheap, Its good extra income for PIK. and a decent deal for BA, but will still cost!

[Callsign Kilo]

It's less so the cost of utilizing PIK, which is undoubtably a cost effective diversion point for transatlantic aircraft inbound to LHR and LGW. It is when the crew becomes out of hours, the pax require hotels and the a/c is unusable until it can be returned to base, resulting in further delays downroute.

[apron alpha]

yes it must be extemely costly alright! anyway, good to see the aircraft in at PIK anyway!

[Callsign Kilo]

Must admit, the 777 is a remarkable beast. Got a good picture of her sitting on the snow covered ramp as I 'slid' my way to the crewroom on Thursday night.

[ara01jbb]

It is when the crew becomes out of hours, the pax require hotels and the a/c is unusable until it can be returned to base, resulting in further delays downroute.

I would imagine that finding ~ 240 hotel beds at short notice for a fully laden triple-7 in the Prestwick area can't be fun. I'd imagine you might end up in Holiday Inn at GLA...

[james170969]

Well there's the Marine Hotel in Troon, the Thistle Hotel in Irvine, a Travelodge just up from the airport at the Dutch House roundabout, and another Travelodge in Kilmarnock and that's just for starters!

[smith]

a Travelodge just up from the airport at the Dutch House roundabout

Thats a Premier Travel Inn at Dutch House.

The Travelodge is up at Heathfield besid Franky and Benny's. There is a Holiday Inn just by there as well. Still don't know if this lot could accomodate a full 777. You got the Ramada Jarvis and Western House in Ayr and the Parkstone in PIK also, that just about may do it if they didn't have a lot of bookings already.

[air2000dub]

Havoing had past experience many years ago trying to find hotel rooms for an air jamaica diversion at PIK. It was not easy.

[james170969]

Travelodge / Premier Travelinn - they all look the same to me!!!

air200dub I think you would find it much easier to get a hotel room if you were diverted to Prestwick now than you did then, there are so many more hotels in the area. Ok so they aren't five star luxury hotels but I've been to several Travelodges and they have all been very clean, warm and comfortable.

[apron alpha]

Tom wilson back as infratil airports europe cheif executive, hes got good local knowledge, experiance, a good move by infratil?

[smith]

Travelodge / Premier Travelinn - they all look the same to me!!!

Maybe, but the Travelodge is way cheaper than yhe Premier Travel Inn

[james170969]

What was the reason that Tom Wilson gave when he left Prestwick Airport to do other things? Let's hope that he is able to bring more passenger and cargo airlines and routes to Prestwick.

[apron alpha]

not sure why tom left, but hopefully his experience will bring in some freight companies to PIK, thats where the problems at PIK are, the polar air pull out, this is what hurt the airport, so hopefully toms contacts can be brought in and fully utilised to fill the polar gap.

[honest man]

Flying club has moved from Apron P over to apronG presumably to make way for the start of the new hangar

[apron alpha]

yes the work started last week, hopefully the airport on the way up ryanair summer flights doing very well for bookings, would not rule out a 7th based aircraft this year. busy summer coming up, any ideas on a carrier who would complement ryanair? without threatening them?

[JohnnyPharm]

Flying club has moved from Apron P over to apronG presumably to make way for the start of the new hangar

Honest Man.

What's happening to the flying club's clubhouse, can they still use it?

[honest man]

Yes they have moved from the ramp just behind the cemetry so they are closer to the clubhouse which is landside anyway

[tartan 201]

I wonder if a seventh aircraft is indeed on the cards. Looking at the currently-on-sale schedule for the first Monday in June 2010 shows the following:

Aircraft 1: TFS, AGP

FR 653 06:25 Depart
FR 654 15:55 Arrive
FR 655 16:45 Depart
FR 656 23:35 Arrive

Aircraft 2: PMI,BVA

FR 696 06:40 Depart
FR 697 13:35 Arrive
FR 64 15:55 Depart
FR 65 23:20 Arrive

Aircraft 3: STN, GRO, MJV

FR 404 06:50 Depart
FR 407 09:40 Arrive
FR 7823 10:05 Depart
FR 7824 15:50 Arrive
FR 7842 16:50 Depart
FR 7843 23:20 Arrive

Aircraft 4: FUE

FR 6953 07:00 Depart
FR 6954 16:35 Arrive

Aircraft 5: GSE

FR 7892 14:00 Depart
FR 7893 18:00 Arrive

Aircraft 6: ACE

FR 6153 07:45 Depart
FR 6154 17:10 Arrive

The above shows that aircraft four, five and six have quite a bit of spare time. FAO has to be fitted-in (currently scheduled as out at 0830, back at 1500), which could work with aircraft five if the departure was brought forward to around 0630. However, there’s almost another aircraft’s worth to do LDY, BGY and STN:

FR 7682 11:25 Depart
FR 7683 13:20 Arrive
FR 742 14:50 Depart
FR 743 20:05 Arrive
FR 426 20:30 Depart
FR 419 23:15 Arrive

So a seventh aircraft with some more destinations to be announced, or some alterations to come to the schedule with some of the destinations served by non-based aircraft? As an aside, Oslo Torp has been dropped for summer 2010, which is a bit of a shame as it was one of the first overseas destinations launched from PIK as I recall.

[apron alpha]

i dnt think your to far away with that tartan, sales are strong so far for the summer schedule, i reckon a 7th based aircraft is on the cards. new hangar ground works started, dnt have a time scale on it, tom wilson was back at the airport today, out and about the airfield and terminal.